Graduation day special for soon-to-be mom

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Graduation, marriage and giving birth: these are important life transitions that are usually spaced out a bit, but Michelle Hertzog jumped in bravely to tackle all three at once.

For the Fort Collins 18-year-old, these major life events will happen within a four-month period. She and her husband, Brad, were married March 11. She graduated from Poudre High School on May 21, and their first child is due July 1. If the baby inherits Michelle's reddish hair and is just a few days late, little Abigail could be a real Fourth of July firecracker.

One thing that has made all this excitement workable is the teen parenting class at Poudre High School. Poudre and Fort Collins High School both have programs serving pregnant teens and those who are parents already. Sarah Sexton, in charge of the program at Poudre, said the goal of the program is to help ensure the students' success in life - as well as that of their children. One step toward that success is high school graduation.

Sexton's teen parenting class meets four times each week, with the number of students fluctuating from just one to as many as 10. Sometimes the young husbands or boyfriends also attend class. Subjects covered in class include self-care during pregnancy, money management, relationships and how to care for a baby. "We want to help them be good parents, good students and good employees," Sexton said.

According to Michelle, the parenting class has helped her prepare for the challenges of pregnancy and labor and for the many details of raising a child, from changing diapers to teaching values and establishing family traditions. The class has provided emotional support as well, since the teens can talk about exciting moments like feeling the baby kick that first soccer ball - in utero.

It's good to have that support, Michelle said, because the overall school environment isn't always positive. Some students, she said, "stare at your stomach, and you feel like they're being critical."

The teen parenting class helps in the financial arena, too, teaching students about resources available in the community. Michelle is now enrolled in both Medicaid and the WIC program, and she plans to take advantage of the Visiting Nurse program once the baby is born.

While the atmosphere is positive and supportive in the parenting class, Sexton also wants to show students that teen pregnancy doesn't have to be a family tradition. "We want to break the cycle of young motherhood," she said, noting that many of her students' mothers also started their families as teenagers. The young women in her current class have learned that lesson well. "They've already figured out, 'Gee, I wish I'd waited,'" Sexton said.

Young parenthood presents many challenges, and one of the major ones is that curse of adult life, making a living. Michelle worked through her seventh month of pregnancy at a newspaper, lifting heavy bundles of paper, until she finally had to quit under doctor's orders. Brad works full-time on a night shift. "It's not enough, but it has to be enough," he said.

The Hertzogs recently found a place of their own, but for the first couple of months they lived with Brad's aunt in a small, one-bedroom apartment. Brad, 20, has been his aunt's caregiver for the past three years, so taking responsibility for others is nothing new for the young husband.

Brad and Michelle are both looking forward to holding little Abigail for the first time, and they're also making plans to get ahead in life. Brad will start classes at Front Range Community College this fall, and Michelle wants to go to college when Abigail is older.

The two are facing their future with love and courage. "They've stepped up to the plate and taken responsibility," Sexton said. For Michelle and Brad, graduation day meant more than just a piece of paper. The day signified that this couple can meet challenges and overcome them, together.